The Square—Resolving Inherent Conflicts

This is an excerpt from my ebooklet, Analyzing Aspects: Building Blocks of Chart Interpretation. To order the booklet, which contains separate chapters on conjunctions, squares, trines, oppositions, sextiles, quincunxes, and lesser-known aspects, go to moonmavenpublications.com

We’re taught that squares signify conflict—both internal and with the external world. Planets at a 90° angle represent issues we keep needing to resolve. Just when we think we’ve nailed them, they pop up again to demand attention. The aspect sets up a battle for dominance between planets in two very different signs and in the key areas of life two houses represent. Of all the difficult aspects, squares create the most dynamic tension between contradictory needs and desires.

Squares must be bad, right? Who wants conflict? But what would your world be like if you didn’t have any squares in your natal chart and never faced another transiting or progressed square? What if you avoided all contact with people whose planets formed right angles to yours? Would your existence be easy, peaceful, and trouble-free? Maybe, but you’d be bored senseless in no time.

Squares energize us and drive us to action, either to deal with outside pressures or to satisfy an inner itch. Without challenge, those long hours on the job would become a stultifying routine. Your personal life would be stagnant and colorless. Conversations would put you to sleep. The programs you watch would be as riveting as that Yule log we see blazing on Christmas Eve. We thrive on tension. It makes a book a thriller rather than as lifeless as a phone directory. It creates excitement in our careers. It gives our love life juice.

Affinity of the Planets: In analyzing any aspect, the first stage should be to reflect on how well the two planets partner one another. Consider squares between the Moon and Uranus. Few planetary pairs are as incompatible in nature as these two.

Comparing qualities and concerns of these planets, you’ll see how ill-suited a couple they are. Uranus by nature is experimental, innovative, and radical, while the Moon by nature is traditional and conservative. The Moon is an ancient, feminine energy; Uranus is futuristic and more masculine. Uranus is adventuresome and craves excitement; the Moon is security-minded and safety-conscious. The Moon wants to preserve the past; Uranus wants to demolish decaying structures and build a shining new order.

The Moon is home cooking with an old family recipe; Uranus is high tech food processing with lots of artificial additives. The Moon and Cancer yearn for family and roots; Uranus and Aquarius would be happier living in a camper with little more than a computer and a couple of bookshelves. Aquarian types are defiant, rebellious, and anti-authoritarian, while Cancerians are conventional and tend to live like their parents taught them.

Incompatible Elements—Another Source of Conflict: The elements of two signs in a square aren’t compatible, producing a dynamic tension. For instance, all three air signs form squares to water or earth signs. Gemini squares Pisces and Virgo; Libra squares Cancer and Capricorn; and Aquarius squares Scorpio and Taurus. Likewise, water signs form squares to fire or air—Cancer to Aries or Libra, Scorpio to Leo or Aquarius, and Pisces to Sagittarius and Gemini.

The Modes as Modifiers:Another step is to classify the two signs by their mode (i.e., theirmodus operandi) as either cardinal, fixed, or mutable. Where squares are concerned, that’s a very telling piece of information, because the mode of both signs is the same, and that’s part of where the tension lies. It also shows how relatively easy or difficult the tension is to resolve.

The mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) are the most adaptable and flexible, so they “give” more readily in a face-off.

The cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) are action oriented and forever driven to achieve their goals. Therefore, they’re quick to rise to the challenges difficult natal and transiting aspects present, but are often more combative than other squares.

The fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius) are the most difficult squares and oppositions to work through, because both signs can dig in their heels and refuse to budge or compromise. They’re intent on preserving their position, hate to change, and are richly endowed with endurance.

Living with Squares—Peaceful Coexistence for the Dueling Duo

Squares stimulate growth and progress because they make us stretch ourselves. People without this aspect in their birth charts tend not to have much motivation to change, so they’re less likely to rise to a challenge. A few squares in a chart comparison keep a relationship dynamic, even sizzling. That chemistry is part of the puzzle of why some seemingly incompatible relationships last.

There’s a learning curve with this aspect. With time and repeated transits, we grow into them and develop better strategies for keeping both planetary energies happy. Through trial and error, I’ve developed a system for living with my own squares. Make peace with them.

Don’t set up a right/wrong or good/bad dynamic that makes one of the planetary pair the villain or promotes a sort of sibling rivalry. Make time on your schedule for the conflicting needs and areas of life the signs and houses of the two planets represent. If you give both planets quality time and allow each of them their rightful place in your life, they tend to co-exist a whole lot better.

Responses

I have a few squares in my chart. First house Jupiter and Uranus conjunct in Libra square my fourth house Capricorn Sun, which squares my seventh house Aries Moon.

The Sun/ Moon square is the most difficult for me, partly because throughout my childhood it manifested as bitter conflict between my parents. I always felt like I was being forced to choose sides, and I still loathe being put into that position in any social setting.

I also have Saturn in Aries square Mercury in Capricorn, and I compensate for being quite a quiet person by writing a lot: academic papers, journalling, old-fashioned pen-and-paper letters. That square has been working out pretty well for me!

Hi, Mary, thanks for contributing to the discussion. I, too, have a close Sun-Moon square and experienced what you noted about parental conflict and being caught in the middle. (Mine is Cancer Sun/Aries Moon) That’s well known as an indicator of parental conflict that makes it hard to imagine that marriage will be harmonious.

You’ll find an article on Mercury-Saturn aspects on this blog if you use the on site search engine on the top right hand corner of the front page. I happen to find Mercury-Saturn aspects admirable, as they tend to produce deep, scholarly minds, but without conceit, as those who have them often feel inferior mentally and don’t believe in their own abilities. Donna

I have a cardinal cross, My AC/DC is 1 Libra/Aries DC/MC 2 Capricorn/Cancer. My Virgo 12th house Pluto/Uranus conjunction opposing 6th House Pisces Saturn square my Nodes NN in 9th Gemini. And I have an almost exact 11th house Leo Mercury square 2nd house Scorpio Neptune.

Just knowing that they are like that is helpful, even if it doesn’t soften the blows, you get used to taking them.

When a planet enters a cardinal sign, things are affected on all level. Pluto entering Capricorn and crossing my DC four-five years ago was perhaps the toughest thing I’ve experienced since he crossed my Ascendant when I was 6 years old. I do have big hopes for Jupiter entering Cancer now..

Having the nodes squaring Pluto/Uranus/Saturn is like, every time I really feel or think that have understood ‘it all’, something happens and I seem to have to start the voyage all a new. That is quite nice once you get used to it. It also seems to work like, I get to see and experience what I can manage without going totally crazy.

And if anything else fails, my Mercury/Neptune square can make everything into an exciting legend. Might not be totally true, but it keeps me entertained…

Ah, Mads, those early cardinal degrees have surely been a tough area of the zodiac to have major placements these past couple of years. Well, you’ve taken on a challenging set of tasks in this incarnation, but it sounds like you are a fighter for self-improvement and work hard to make the best use of those squares. Good attitude. Donna

Yes, that cardinal cross looks so neet and orderly when you look at the chart, but it sometimes is so tough.

It does help to have Virgo Sun sun/Leo Moon conjunct, Sun sextiling Scorpio Mars, Moon sextiling Gemini Jupiter. I fight as long as necessary (sometimes a bit longer) and I have a happy jovial disposition and can always convince myself why everything really happened for the best (afterwards..)

I have 12th house Virgo Venus square 9th house Gemini Moon. My Venus is in a grand trine with 8th house Taurus Saturn and 4th house Capricorn Mars. Moon is trined by Libra 1st house Jupiter and Sun. I actually didn’t really feel this square until Uranus transited it while in Pisces—probably because Venus is in the 12th house? I also have 1st house Libra Uranus conjunct Mercury square 4th house Capricorn Mars. I think I somewhat understand this square, together with my 8th house Saturn it is teaching me to let go. Generally, I always try to please everyone and keep everyone happy to the point sometimes I forget that I exist, I’m not sure if it is the Venus/moon square or all that Libra planets.

Interesting insight on the square, and welcomed. I was always told the square was extremely difficult to work with, but it also provided an impetus for resolving two differing energies. In doing, the square energy becomes more flowing, and acts like a trine, say some astrologers. I wonder how jupiter squares work? I have Jupiter square Uranus, Jupiter square Pluto and Jupiter square Chiron . I know that Jupiter is the wider picture, the spiritual and philosophcal, the teacher etc -so would each of these aspects involve working in finding a balance or working with revolutionary ideas, being ahead of the times, the avant -garde ( Uranus) or understanding power, using power wisely (pluto) or using healing, teaching with the spiritual/ a philosophical edge?
Jupiter (11 th house, Gemini) Uranus-Pluto (3rd house Virgo) Chiron (9th house , Pisces)
@A, I have Mars in Capricorn (6th house) Saturn in Pisces (8th house). Shall we share stories! LOL . Yes, Saturn is about letting go. I am learning this – not easy, though🙂

Jupiter’s mode of action, whether it’s a conjunction, square, trine, or other aspect, is to expand everything it touches, sometimes to push it too far, but then learning from mistakes and having something to teach others. Donna

@ A, I think wanting to please , is all about the Libran planets. Venus and moon, is, I’m guessing here, about about wanting to be nice and “feminine” , really popular, caring, a people’s person. So I think it could be a conflict between wanting to be nice, wonderful, peaceful and diplomatic and wanting not to be taken for granted sometimes and looking after your needs, Perhaps, it’s about resolving that? I have a venus-moon sextile, so I love beautiful things, art, etc being a diplomat, wanting things to go smoothly, and wanting everyone to get on. I use my Saturn in 8th house to make sure I have those boudaries, so people don’t step over that limit. A form of discipline. ( saturn squares to moon/mercury)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. What you are saying makes sense. May be this square is about not having boundaries between being nice and kind and being a doormat, which in the end creates lot of emotional pain. I agree, that 8th house Saturn is definitely hard.

I learned over the decades that my relationships with male friends ended at the latest after 2-3 years – a complete Marsian Cycle (Mars trines Neptune in addition) and then a dissolution?

In addition to my relationships in my student times I lived in celibacy later on when I turned out to be a single mom with two children.
I sat every evening meditating with a picture of a beautiful Indian Saint… this was far more nurturing on the energetic level!

Thank you for your reply, Donna.
I am ‘chewing’ now on the house aspect of my natal Venus in Aquarius in the 6th, squaring Neptune in Scorpio on the 4th house cusp, i.e.: squaring my Taurus MC.
So, in the last days I got a better understanding why I couldn’t make a career yet (my Capricorn Sun seems to like it) but got time and time again involved in family affairs instead which required much of my time and effort.

Hi Donna, nice to have you back,
I have oodles of squares and it is true as I age I face activation periods with age appropriate strategies. I can safely say that those strategies have shifted as the involved natal planets also aspect, by transit, the squares (or other elements of the chart).
The squares are among paired conjuctions with an oppostion involved making a t square. In addition, all but 4 points points in the chart are around the same degrees, being 20 to 27 degrees. So hit one and it hits most of the chart.
All but nodes, sun,moon,saturn,and mars which are having their own little minor grand trine party with eachother at 5 to 10 degrees.

First strategy was to imitate conflict resolution as I saw it acted out in the childhood environment.
Second stage was to differenciate, trying out lots of strategies in the spirit of individuation.
Third stage was to blend old and new in reconciliation.
Fourth and current stage is to allow for full expression of all potencial no matter the cosequences in a odd tasting, feeling salad that is my current state of allowing. I got this idea from Paul klee, the artist whose studio was a mess of various projects in various states of completion and where he would slip from one piece to another as inspiration arose. No more one thing at a time. No more finite view of time itself, realizing how eternal a being I really was.This strategy developed out of the period of time where uranus and neptune were in mutual reception recently and I was revisiting art history. It is, so far the most stable expression even though from the outside my decisionmaking might seem chaotic or murky to others, anybodies guess, including my own. I think squares are awesome hawkers of stimulating impuses.

I want to add that for people I know who have grand crosses strategy 4 has prooven paralizing for them as opposing impulses intervene. Like a snake with 2 heads, sometimes one head wins the directional tug-of-war and sometimes the other but the going’s slow. What I have seen work for them is to actuate through planets that make other angles to the grand cross, like a planet trining one of them, therefore 30,60,150 to the others in the cross. actuating via these other planets looks like pretzil logic from the outside but with grand crosses a ciruitous route is the path of least resistance and offers vaious approaches. Chess is a great game for them to hone these skills with or study the life of Hannibal. (not the cannibal).

Dear Donna, I want to thank you for your ‘incredible dedication’ to all
of us who are ‘seekers’ of Astrology ..many many years I have followed
you …and through the years you have become my best friend the one
who gave me the confidence to never give up!…Thank you for your
gentleness and grace that stirs and touches the thoughts and feelings
in many of us…thank you for the ‘nudge’ that awakens a sense of curiosity
and wonder in me….Your showing understanding to the heaven’s above…
makes us one with life… all learners have traveled the same path….
understanding Knowledge is words ..Wisdom is silent standing in the center
knowing what is not seen. Thank you Donna your ‘gift of sharing expands
and has made this world a better place …
My wish is for other Astrologers to see what a ~Shinning Star~ you are..
and follow!

The only way a planet in Virgo can square a planet in Scorpio is if it’s an out-of-sign aspect. Let’s say you had a planet at 1 degree Virgo and another at 29 Scorpio. The exact square would be 1 Virgo to 1 Sagittarius, but the square is within about 5 degrees of range from 90 degrees. So a planet at 1 Virgo would be only 3 degrees from a 90 degree angle to a planet at 29 Scorpio. Donna

OK so late scorpio/early virgo.. Gosh I knew that…..Must have let it migrate to the bottom of the sock drawer 8•D …So this moon/mars in late scorpio square pluto in early virgo.

By: uhanepono on June 28, 2013 at 12:06 pm

I have a Sagittarius stellium in the 1st house (Saturn & Moon conjunct Ascendant, Uranus and out-of-sign Neptune in Capricorn) facing off my Virgo stellium in 9th house (Venus conjunct Sun conjunct Mars, with Mercury slightly removed). They are part of a wonky kite, with Pluto in Scorpio in 11th house and anaretic Jupiter in Aries, 4th house, on the cusp of 5th.

Pluto has been transiting my 1st house planets since I was 12 years old.

I feel like these two stelliums have been fighting tooth and nail within me. My Virgo stellium wants to be the straight and narrow truth-scholar. My Sagittarius stellium wants to tell ‘the truth’ to go **** itself, and just love life for what it is without asking questions.

When I embraced my Sagittarius stellium, I felt like I was acting because my persona differed so much from ‘who I am’ (Sun in Virgo). When I embraced my Virgo stellium, my health declined to the point that I had to take serious care of my body or end up diseased.

I end up going from extremely opinionated and subjective, to being on top of the mountain looking down, spewing generalities (wise master syndrome). The square never gives me a chance to hone a skill, because I’m constantly bouncing from one side to the other in my head. Because so many of my planets are tied up with this giant square in my chart, it’s my ENTIRE LIFE that goes from one extreme to another – not just one aspect.

It’s really messed with my head. I keep hope that a happy middle will be found, but sometimes I do just want to give up. It is quite devastating having so many planets tied together. It’s kind of like having all your eggs in one basket: when the times are good, they are good without question. When they are bad….you don’t have a leg to stand on.

Looking at what I wrote, I just want to emphasize that I agree that squares can be quite dynamic. But in my case, at least up until age 25, it has caused a inner stale-mate effect. Which I am sure I will find an answer for…..eventually!

Hi, your tangencial (wonky) planets, are they within orb of making aspects to your square? If so, then use them to act through. Treat them like mediators who know how to talk to the more intransigent planets in the square.

Also there is a point on the fence (perhaps a midpoint – with a resident planet?). where you can balance and there is where your greatest power lay. Just like when Carlos Castanedas (The teachings of Don Juan) was told one night to not rest till he found his power spot in front of Don Juan’s house. He fussed and flitted from one comfortable (for awhile) spot to another till he exhausted himself with indecision and and anger and just lay where he was. When Don Juan woke in the morning he said “I see you found your power spot!”

I have been putting off writing this for
months but feel it maybe of value to
others like myself who have Cardinal
squares now the transits hitting them
can cause one to become afraid and
vulnerable and seek answers from
people who can twist ones mind like
a pretzel just because they can.

I need HELP !. I’m a Big Square.
much of my life I’ve lived with stress.
But there are times I think that maybe
I might become a Pearl after all it is the
Grain of Sand that makes the Pearl.
I have to struggle sometimes but many
of times I find the end of the rainbow.

Recently I became interested in midpoints.
I began searching the internet and stumbled
upon a couple of Astrologers websites so
I decided to get a reading from both.

The first astrologer must have emailed me
30 times asking me many questions as my
birth certificate does not have time of birth.
I gave the time of birth Mother said it was.
The Astrologer wouldn’t accept it she wanted
proof…so on and on it went for several days
until she calculated her way which came to
be the same as mother said it was.

I did not give permission for this lady to use my
chart with her reading to be attached to the
Natal wheel for all the world to gook at. I actually
had to use her link to see my reading on her website.
which I wouldn’t have been so bad but she slammed
me like I was some sort of monster.
The first of the reading began with ‘all’ Capricorns are
born with a ‘egg shaped’ heads….and ‘all’ Capricorns
did not want to be born because they were bad evil
people from a previous life that they have so much
karma and that is why I am back again! and that….
‘all’ Capricorns are Bossy

As I continued to read on she made it clear that I
my chart was very bad and that I was going
to experience very horrible things ahead and the
the Grime Reaper was coming to get me very soon.
By this time I am shaking and couldn’t breathe I was
in a full blown Panic attack!…. I was so upset that I didn’t
sleep any and the next day very very depressed I actually
went by a funeral home and was going to plan for my funeral.

This was stressing me out! .. I called an old friend who is
a Astrologer she has helped me for 20 years …she was
outraged for anyone to do this to me, she gave me affirmations
to say and to release this Astrologer but for me to tell her that
it was not Ok for her to hurt me and put fear in me this way.

So I wrote the lady and told her how she upset me stressed me.
She answered me back and told me I just didn’t like someone
giving me ‘Harsh Predictions’ and she would ‘not’ take down
my chart from her website …

This today is still giving me nightmares and stress!

2nd Reader is an Astrologer and has been for 30yrs.
he has written many books and continues to write books
on Midpoints he was upset to know this woman caused me
stress and he ‘did not’ believe her predictions …
His reading gave me understanding of the energy of the
transits….his books are on Amazon and Book stores.
He believed enough in me that he would love for me to
market his newest books….

I trust other’s who have similar natal charts are careful
who they pay to read their charts, maybe this will help.

By: ancientrecords on July 2, 2013 at 10:58 pm

Dear God, what awful things for an astrologer to say to a client!!! It’s all crap. (And to post it on a website???) It says much more about the astrologer’s shadow side than it does about the client’s true nature. I get stories like that often for my Dell Horoscope column, and it makes my blood boil! If astrology were a real profession with an enforceable code of ethics, that astrologer would be disbarred. (Some astrology groups do have a code of ethics, but no mechanism of dealing with members who violate the code.)

Thank you so much for your support with this.
I wanted so to write on your blog but it took
me a long time to find the courage… I truly go
to pieces when I recall what she wrote ‘it was
Horrible’ ….. Horrible!…. a nightmare……
I still shake when I think back about it … …
When I wrote her she was very mean spirited to
me ….she did apologized about the ‘Grime Reaper’
statement she made, But she told me she would
not take the ‘reading down from her website if I
did not like it not to go back and read it….something
isn’t right here I paid her a big price ahead of time
for a private reading did not want her to post it…
The point I am trying to make here is Readers
such as she gives astrology a ‘bad rap’ and can
discourages ones like me from ever getting a ‘reading.

In closing want to mention that she also posted pictures
of her sister & mother to ‘my reading’ saying they were
both Capricorns and for me to look at their ‘Egg Heads’
because ‘all’ Capricorns have ‘Egg Heads’……
What in the world does her Sister and Mother have to
do with me ?

Can you tell me what does that mean?

This post is not about the money I paid her.
It is about the ‘ stress she has inflicted upon me.
I really hope no one ever has to go through
a Reading like this because it certainly could cause
one to jump off a cliff … literally !

Kind Regards
Charmaine,

By: ancientrecords on July 3, 2013 at 11:15 pm

Don’t worry, Charmaine, I am very happy you did post your experience and that I was able to respond. Stories like this one alert potential astrology clients that there are quite a lot of bogus astrologers out there who make twisted and devastating remarks to clients about their charts….and often charge a lot of money for it. People need to know that statements like those are NOT coming from the mouth of God but are absolute bull shit coming from the malice of some very bad people. “Capricorns are evil people and they have heads shaped like eggs???” Whoever heard such a bunch of crap? Donna

Now my conclusion is that squares are even not easy to comprehend, because I am engaged in getting clues of my birthchart for more than 24 years. (Two Jupiter cycles and… strike!! And the essence of the final degree of Jupiter in Gemini this year.)
Martina

Since 2008, the Sun has been in hard aspects (conjunctions, squares and oppositions) to Pluto at the Equinoxes and Solstices as it entered the cardinal signs, since Pluto is in Capricorn which is one of the cardinal signs (the others are Libra, Aries and Cancer). Last year when Uranus moved into Aries it joined the intense dynamic and created further intensity and conflict. Because the charts for the Solstices and Equinoxes set the tone for the unfolding of the seasons, these interactions are significant.